When reason fails
by FandomDealer
Summary: Stephanie comes home to an empty house only to be kidnapped. When she wakes she finds Ranger has also been kidnapped.


**Disclaimer:** The Plum-verse belongs to Janet Evanovich. I only wish I was so brilliant.

**A/N:** Edited best I can. Forgive my mistakes.

Like most of my other stories, I started this one with a what if inspired by the 'Should Stephanie married Joe or Ranger' forum and well...

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><p><strong>Part I<strong>

"Ranger!" She called up. "Where are you?"

He didn't answer. She grew suspicious of the silence. She made her way up the stairs carefully. Trying hard to be one with her inner cat burglar. She heard a creak in her room. She stopped outside the door to listen. Nothing. She eased the door open an inch and peeked in. Nothing again. She opened the door fully and stepped in.

She suddenly felt a sharp pain at the back of her head and the room went dark.

_"I can't." He said clasping her hands between his a little too tightly. "I can't get into a relationship with you."_

_She sat very still digesting his words. They didn't make sense. Why didn't he just walk away from her if he didn't want anything with her? Was he really that cruel?_

_"Steph. Babe. I love you but I can't." He repeated._

She was lying on the floor when she came to. She was drooling out of the corner of her mouth onto the cement floor under her.

Was she in a warehouse?

"Steph. Wake up."

Was that Ranger? What was he doing here? She couldn't quite clear her head.

"Listen to me. I need you to open your eyes. I need you to pull out the knife in my boot." He was whispering.

She was slow to realize his words but she eventually opened her eyes and nodded. She realized then her hands were tied behind her. With difficulty she struggled on to her knees and looked around.

She almost gave into her panic as she saw Ranger tied to what looked like a old furnace. His lip was busted and there was blood all over him. Not enough to make her think he was seriously injured but enough to make her think that someone was very angry... or psychotic.

She waddled her way over to him on her knees and sat down with her back to his feet. She used her hands to dig in his boot to her to the small knife he kept there. She felt the flap that kept it hidden and pulled on the string that hung there. The small blade came to her hand.

"Give it to me." He said.

She wanted to to cut herself free but she did as Ranger said and placed the blade in his hands. It didn't take Ranger long before he freed himself and then freed her.

Ranger then looked around. She saw what he saw. No windows and only one door.

"Scream." He whispered.

"What?" She asked in disbelief. Did he want to draw them to him? Of course.

She let out an ear splitting scream. It wasn't too difficult. She was terrified after all.

They heard muffled voices behind the door.

"Keep screaming." Ranger urged her.

He stepped over to the door and placed himself off to the side. Suddenly the door flung open and two men burst in. It was over in a moment. Ranger knocked one guy out immediately and threw the other guy to the floor and punched him out.

Ranger then bent over, hands on knees, panting.

"Ranger? Are you okay?" Stephanie stepped up next to him and placed a hand on his back.

He took the other hand in his and squeezed. "I'm fine. Let's go." He straighten and led them out cautiously. But there was no one else in the building.

They emerged out of an old abandoned warehouse. For a moment Stephanie wished criminals would be more creative.

Ranger went to the first POS car he saw and looked under the carriage. He was looking for tracking devices or maybe he was looking for bombs. He took a walk around the car and called her over. Ranger smash in a window to get in and then hot-wired it.

"Ranger?" She noticed he was already in his zone, but his mind was moving thinking hard.

"Yeah."

"What was that? Who was it?" She asked, trying to remain calm.

"Not sure." He answered.

"That means you have some ideas?"

He didn't answer, but she saw his muscles tighten around his mouth. He has some ideas.

They didn't go to their house or to the office. Ranger drove past Tank's place on Bird Street and parked a block down. They walked back to the old brick building and took the stairs up to Tank's apartment.

They were greeted by a small young woman.

"Ranger! You look terrible!" She stepped aside to let them in and continued as if she'd seen him like this before. "The guys have been looking for you since this morning. Have you checked in with them?" She stared a little at Stephanie's state but didn't comment.

"Not yet. Where's Tank?" Ranger asked.

"At the office. There's a situation. Maybe you should check in with them." She suggested.

"I will. There's a ride at the corner."

"I'll take care of it." She nodded and walked into another room.

Ranger grabbed the phone from the side table by the entry and went into the living room. Stephanie knew he dialed Tank's number. She found herself to the kitchen and helped herself to some water.

"Sure." She heard the girl. She looked to the entrance to the kitchen and saw the girl on a cell phone. "Take care of it." She paused and turned to Stephanie. "Thanks." She hung up. The girl was probably in her early twenty's and seemed intensely serious when she had issued the command. But then the girl smiled at her. "Are you okay?"

"As good as I can be." Stephanie shrugged.

"You want to clean up?" The girl asked.

Stephanie nodded and the girl waved for her to follow.

"Lee!" They heard Ranger bark.

"I'm coming!" The girl yelled back. The girl opened a door for Stephanie at the end of the hall and waved her in. "The bathroom through there." The girl pointed at a door. "There are some extra towels in the closet and help yourself to any clothes that fit." She then closed the door and left Stephanie.

Stephanie took her time taking a shower and by the time she was out she found Ranger waiting for her.

"I have to go check in at the office." He paused and then continued."There was a hack on our systems we don't know yet what was compromised." Ranger looked at her and his eyes softened. "Are you okay?" He held out a hand for her.

She stepped forward and took his hand. He immediately pulled her into him. "I'm okay." She whispered softly into his chest. She then pulled back and looked him in the eyes. "You should go and check on the situation." She told him.

He nodded and dropped his arms from around her. He planted a gentle kiss on her forehead and left.

Once he was gone she looked around the room. Her clothes were already gone. She looked in the closet and found a t-shirt and boxer shorts. She slipped into the fresh clothes and found herself to the bed.

_They were at a restaurant having a quiet meal when she finally noticed the tension. She put down her utensils and wiped the corner of her mouth with the napkin._

_"Ranger?" She broke the awkward silence. "Is everything okay?" She saw the muscles of his jaw tighten and then relax like he was about to say something._

_"Steph."_

_"Ranger." She repeated._

_"I'm not sure if I'm doing the right thing. And this wouldn't be the first time I made the wrong choice but Babe..." He reached in his pocket and pulled out a small box. "Will you marry me?" He opened the box to reveal an engagement ring._


End file.
